Elsass-Lothringen

Elsass-Lothringen was a reichsland of the German Empire that existed from 1871 to 1918 in what is now the Alsace-Lorraine region of eastern France. The region, which was home to a German majority, was seized from France during the Franco-Prussian War, which completed the unification of Germany by Prussia. In 1871, Elsass-Lothringen had a population of 380,290 people, with 58.4% being South Germans and 41.6% French; 77.7% were Catholics, while 21.4% were Protestants. The region was also home to significant South German Jewish communities in Strasbourg (1,200+ people) and Metz (1,226+ people). Elsass-Lothringen would be reconquered by France after the end of World War I in 1918.